Recycling and the Civil War

Paper

Metal

Textiles

Recycling isn’t only about preserving the environment; it has been around since the early days of our nation’s history. An excellent example of that is how materials were recycled and reused during the Civil War to provide much-needed supplies both on and off the battlefield.

For the past year, the City of Manassas Citizen’s Advisory Committee on Solid Waste has been researching what and how people recycled during the Civil War. This intrepid group of volunteers have been visiting the Library of Congress and conversing with local and regional historians uncovering a wealth of information on how materials such as paper, metal and textiles were recycled and reused on the battlefield and at home.